Drinking in Scotland

[Abigail]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-29750001

Anyone considering heading North of the border this festive season should take a little extra care as the drink drive limit has just been lowered. Personally I would never drink anything if I was driving so it doesn't really affect me but I know it has upset a lot of people who may have had one glass.

[imagine]

There shouldn't be a limit, no drink drive, drive no drink

Simple as that

[Abigail]

I would agree with you but there are plenty out there who don't unfortunately

[Longweekend]

I see cars parked in our local pub car park that are there for hours, don't tell me they were nursing just one pint or they were all drinking soft drinks....,

[Doc Alan]

It IS called " drink driving " in the UK, making the point that a driver doesn’t have to be drunk to be impaired. There’s also a case for calling resulting " accidents " road traffic INCIDENTS.


How strange that measures to control drink driving vary so much between countries in extent, application and acceptance . Many vehicles are now safer, seatbelts are used more, and roads are safer, with limits on speed and " distracted driving ", like mobile phone use. All these may well have contributed to what seems to be a genuine decline in alcohol-related road traffic incidents, including deaths, in many parts of the world.



England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are among few countries, including North America, still having a legal blood alcohol level as high as 80 mg / 100 ml blood ( 35 microg / 100 ml breath ). It’s thought around 230 road fatalities ( one in eight ) are due to drink driving in the UK. The Scottish limits are now 50 mg / 100 ml and 22 microg / 100 ml breath.


There could well be as many DRUG-related deaths as those related to alcohol in the UK. There are now legal limits to prevent driving with at least eight prescription and eight illegal drugs. The limits aren’t set to zero because traces may be detected of drugs taken for medicinal purposes.


An " anti-drunk and –drugged " driving law was passed 18 months ago in the Philippines, with fines of up to P 500,000 and jail terms. The law doesn’t specify the level of intoxication amounting to " driving under the influence " – and of course there’s always the possibility of " traffic enforcers " demanding bribes from motorists who haven’t themselves been killed by their actions. The law does limit the allowable blood alcohol level to below 0.05 percent - as in Scotland - for most drivers.
Drivers of public utility vehicles, trucks, buses and motorcycles are not supposed to have any amount of alcohol in their blood. Previously drink driving was only a traffic violation when it caused injuries.


Vehicle driving has been around – and drink driving has been a crime - for over a century. Portable breathalyzers have been around for half that time. People should have the right to drink OR drive, but not both, until impairment through alcohol has ceased .


http://www.thelancet.com/journals/la...798-3/fulltext

[les_taxi]

I think it should be Zero. Trouble is, it's the next morning where many people fall foul. When I go out for a big night out I get hammered as it's a treat.

I go nowhere near my car till the day after. IE go out Sat night, don't drive car till Monday.

I would be over the limit till at least Sunday teatime I'll bet - as I don't get a taxi home until 3 am.